Tourism, tiktoker Khaby Lame UN testimonial. In June he was expelled from the USA
In June he was stopped by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Nevada for overstaying his visa
Khaby Lame, one of the world's most famous content creators with 162 million followers on TikTok and 80 Instagram, has been chosen as an 'ambassador' by the UNWTO, the UN specialised agency for promoting tourism. Born in Dakar in 2000 and arrived with his family in Italy when he was one year old, Khabane Serigne Lame (his real name) became popular globally with comic videos in which he expresses himself with gestures, initially filmed in Chivasso (Turin). He received Italian nationality in the summer of 2022. The one just announced is not his first 'institutional' assignment: at the beginning of 2025, he was appointed 'goodwill ambassador' for Unicef. His fame now goes beyond social media: Forbes has included him in its '30 Under 30' list and he appears in Fortune's '40 Under 40' list. He also walked the red carpet at the Met Gala 2025 (the annual fundraising event to benefit the Costume institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York).
Ambassador for Responsible Tourism
"As UN Tourism Ambassador," the Madrid-based agency said, "Lame will use his unique platform to promote responsible tourism, support cultural heritage and advocate for sustainable practices. His work will focus on showing the power of tourism as an engine for development, job creation and unity'.
"I am incredibly honoured to become an ambassador for Unwto," said the influencer. "My journey began simply with a desire to make people smile. Now I want to use my platform to share my passion for the world, promote responsible travel and build a global community that cares about our planet and the people who inhabit it."
Ejection from the United States
In his work as 'tourism ambassador', Lame will not be able to go to the United States, at least for now: in June 2025, he had been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Nevada for overstaying his visa. As a resident of Italy, he had not been detained by the US immigration authorities but only deported. however, he risks not being able to return to America for a long time, if not forever.
The details of the affair have never been clarified. It all started with a post on X by Bo Loudon, a right-wing influencer and activist. "The president's immigration authorities just arrested Khaby Lame, a far-left TikToker, who I flagged as an illegal immigrant," Loudon, a friend of Donald Trump's youngest son, had written. "I found out that he was an illegal immigrant, who continued to stay in the US even though his visa had expired visa and was evading taxes. No one is above the law!", Loudon had attacked.
